I enjoyed meeting with all of you for parent-teacher conferences, and I hope you all have a fun and relaxing spring vacation! See you back at school on Tuesday, April 3rd!
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Weekly News (Feb. 20-March 2)
Wow! How the days are flying by in kindergarten. I can't believe it's already March! Take a peek below to see what we have been learning.
Math
This week we wrapped up our shape unit as we focused on identifying and searching for 2D shapes, creating pictures with shapes, and using shapes to create and extend patterns. Students went on a shape hunt in our classroom to find various shapes, and they used the iPads to scan QR codes to learn about shapes that we can see in the real world. Students also followed a set of clues to color a shape picture, and then they created their own unique designs using 2D shapes. The students also practiced using a collection of shapes to create and extend patterns.
Literacy
Reading Workshop
The students continue to learn strategies to use when listening to or reading nonfiction books. Students learned how good readers STOP and THINK before, during, and after reading. We practiced how to confirm our predictions and identify new information we learned by saying things like, "Yes! I knew that!" or "Wow, I never knew that!"
We also spent some time learning how to use different text features to understand the meaning of the bold words found in nonfiction books. We practiced studying the photographs, reading the labels, and using the glossary to help us learn the meaning of new words. The students had time to explore books in their book bins to find examples of these features, and they were excited to share their findings with their partners!
Guided Reading
You may have noticed that your child did not get a new book in their blue book bag these last two weeks. I have been pulling students one-on-one to do some assessments for report cards, and now that those are just about wrapped up, I will begin meeting with guided reading groups again next week. The students LOVE their small group reading time, and they are always so eager to get a new book! Thank you so much for your continued support at home working with your child and encouraging them to read their books and practice the items in their bags. It truly does make a difference! I can tell the students have been practicing their sight words. Keep up the great work!
Writing Workshop
We have recently been doing some goal setting during writing workshop time. The children have been working on individual goals for their writing and reflecting on their progress toward their goals. We have also been transitioning from writing one sentence on a topic to two or more sentences as they become ready for this step. The children continue to grow and develop as writers, and it's amazing to see how far they have come since the beginning of the school year! I can't wait to share their writing journals with you at conferences!
Handwriting
We continue to teach formal handwriting skills using the Handwriting Without Tears program. We have finished our work with the uppercase letters, and we will spend the remainder of the year working to learn the lowercase letters. The children also continue to practice their name writing skills so that they are able to write both their first and last name using good letter formation and upper and lowercase letters appropriately. The students continue to make progress with this skill each week!
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
What a great way to welcome March! This week we enjoyed learning all about the life of Dr. Seuss! I loved listening to the students' conversations about their favorite Dr. Seuss books and how they love how his books rhyme. It was also fun to see the students' reaction when they learned that Dr. Seuss was a real person---not the cat wearing the red and white striped hat! They were surprised to learn that his real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel and that he wrote over 40 books! We even spent some time rhyming and transforming ourselves into cats wearing red and white striped hats too!
We also loved learning all about Kevin this week! We learned that Kevin enjoys playing with Playdoh and his racecars. He also likes the movie Peter Rabbit, and he is a big fan of Spiderman too!
Thanks so much for reading!
Math
This week we wrapped up our shape unit as we focused on identifying and searching for 2D shapes, creating pictures with shapes, and using shapes to create and extend patterns. Students went on a shape hunt in our classroom to find various shapes, and they used the iPads to scan QR codes to learn about shapes that we can see in the real world. Students also followed a set of clues to color a shape picture, and then they created their own unique designs using 2D shapes. The students also practiced using a collection of shapes to create and extend patterns.
Going on a Shape Hunt
 |
| I found a triangle! |
 |
| I found a rectangle! |
Shapes in the Real World
 |
| Scanning a QR code to reveal a real-life 2D shape! |
 |
| Look what we found! |
 |
| Look what we found! |
 |
| Graphing our results |
Shape Pictures and Patterns
 |
| Creating a pattern |
 |
| Check out our patterns! |
 |
| What comes next? |
Literacy
Reading Workshop
The students continue to learn strategies to use when listening to or reading nonfiction books. Students learned how good readers STOP and THINK before, during, and after reading. We practiced how to confirm our predictions and identify new information we learned by saying things like, "Yes! I knew that!" or "Wow, I never knew that!"
We also spent some time learning how to use different text features to understand the meaning of the bold words found in nonfiction books. We practiced studying the photographs, reading the labels, and using the glossary to help us learn the meaning of new words. The students had time to explore books in their book bins to find examples of these features, and they were excited to share their findings with their partners!
Guided Reading
You may have noticed that your child did not get a new book in their blue book bag these last two weeks. I have been pulling students one-on-one to do some assessments for report cards, and now that those are just about wrapped up, I will begin meeting with guided reading groups again next week. The students LOVE their small group reading time, and they are always so eager to get a new book! Thank you so much for your continued support at home working with your child and encouraging them to read their books and practice the items in their bags. It truly does make a difference! I can tell the students have been practicing their sight words. Keep up the great work!
Writing Workshop
We have recently been doing some goal setting during writing workshop time. The children have been working on individual goals for their writing and reflecting on their progress toward their goals. We have also been transitioning from writing one sentence on a topic to two or more sentences as they become ready for this step. The children continue to grow and develop as writers, and it's amazing to see how far they have come since the beginning of the school year! I can't wait to share their writing journals with you at conferences!
Handwriting
We continue to teach formal handwriting skills using the Handwriting Without Tears program. We have finished our work with the uppercase letters, and we will spend the remainder of the year working to learn the lowercase letters. The children also continue to practice their name writing skills so that they are able to write both their first and last name using good letter formation and upper and lowercase letters appropriately. The students continue to make progress with this skill each week!
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
What a great way to welcome March! This week we enjoyed learning all about the life of Dr. Seuss! I loved listening to the students' conversations about their favorite Dr. Seuss books and how they love how his books rhyme. It was also fun to see the students' reaction when they learned that Dr. Seuss was a real person---not the cat wearing the red and white striped hat! They were surprised to learn that his real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel and that he wrote over 40 books! We even spent some time rhyming and transforming ourselves into cats wearing red and white striped hats too!
Art Appreciation
A big thank you to Jake's mom for teaching our morning class about the French painter Edouard Manet. The students learned about Manet's life and took a closer look at his painting The Fifer. They listened to fife music, and they even created their own instruments and played them as they paraded around the room!
All About Me
The morning class loved learning all about Skylar. We learned that Skylar loves to wear headbands, and her favorite game is Pop the Pig! She enjoys playing with her Barbies and dressing her baby dolls, and she also likes to draw and color. She likes many colors, including pink, and she also likes to play catch!
 |
| A big thank you to Skylar's mom for coming in to read an Elephant and Piggie book. We always love Mo Willems! |
We also loved learning all about Kevin this week! We learned that Kevin enjoys playing with Playdoh and his racecars. He also likes the movie Peter Rabbit, and he is a big fan of Spiderman too!
Welcome Cody!
Our afternoon class was SO excited to welcome a new student this week. Welcome to Dryden Cody. We are so happy you are here!
Hope you have a GREAT weekend!
Click HERE to see more pictures.
Enjoy!
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